Drapery rod bracket



June 19, 1951 REnMAN 2,557,362

DRAPERY ROD BRACKET Filed Jan. 21, 1948 1) 24 INVENTOR 31' m4 fl- [aREIT/VAN ATTORNEY Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICEDRAPERY ROD BRACKET Abraham I. Reitman, Oakland, Calif.

Application January 21, 1948, Serial No. 3,595

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to brackets designed for the cantilever support ofload-carrying elements, and particularly rods carrying drapery orourtains opposite wall openings.

A general object of the invention is to provide a bracket of thecharacter described which adjustably receives and releasably grips asupport respect to an opening at which a pair of the brackets supportthe rod and drapery mounted thereon.

A further object is to provide support brackets of the characterdescribed which are particularly adapted for installation in pairs inhood or cornice boxes, and in adjusted spaced relation.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description of a typical embodiment and use thereof, and inthe accompanying drawings in which, 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rod support bracket embodying myinvention and supportedly engaging a rod portion.

Figure 2 is a partly sectional perspectiveview illustrating an operativeinstallation of the present brackets in association with a hood orcornice box at an opening.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the assembly of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan section of the assembly of Figure 2 taken at theplane of the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the showing of Figure 1.

As particularly illustrated, the structural features of the brackets ofmy invention are incorporated in like unitary members 9 which eachcomprise a body Ill having generally fiat parts it and i2 and I3 and Idwhich are mutually coterminous and angularly related in their order insuch a manner that the parts it and, I3 and 14 provide a U-bend I5 at anend of the part it. Preferably, but not essentially, a present bracketbody it may be shaped as a one-piece structure of suitable material, asby bending a fiat blank or by molding, to provide it as a relativelyrigid element, it being noted that the lines of intersection of thecoterminous parts are mutually parallel.

The body It may be fashioned of any suitable metallic or non-metallicmaterial, or materials, having the requisite qualities of strength andstiffness for the duty required of the bracket. All parts of the body H]are presently shown as of like thickness, whereby the body is adaptedfor shaping in a particularly ready and inexpensive manner from aninitially flat blank comprising a single strip of bendable materialhaving its side edges straight and mutually parallel, as in the presentstructure, or formed to provide decorative side lines for the partswhich, however, are generally concealed if the bracket is base I! isprovided With screw holes H to pro vide for the mounting of the bracketin an operative position. The U-bend 15, which is provided by theopposed and generally parallel parts l2 and Hi and the connecting part13, extends to one side of the plane of the base part H, and has itsparts l2 and 14 generally perpendicular to said plane and to the partl3. Mutually aligned holes l5 and [8 are respectively provided throughthe parts I2 and i l at points adjacent the part It, said holes havinglike cross-sections which are similar to, and slightly larger than, thecross-section of an end portion 2 l of a rod member 2i to be supportedfrom the bracket. The line of the holes 16 and It lies in the plane ofthe bend and is preferably parallel to the plane of the base I l,whereby the inserted rod portion 2| may be substantially parallel to theplane of mounting of the bracket.

Having a rod portion 2! engaging the holes I6 and iii of a bracket 9, alateral force applied against the rod beyond it is arranged to provide amore or less positive gripping of the engaged rod portion against axialdisplacement in the holes to a degree determined by the lateral forcewhich produced the gripping action. For providing such a grippingaction, the holes i6 and I3 are enough larger than the received rod portion to permit such an angular disposal of the rod portion thereat aswill engage the rod portion with the right-angle corners provided at themutually opposite ends and sides of the hole bores. When a U-shaped rod2| provides the portions 2! as inturned end portions or stems thereof,and carries drapes or curtains D, as in the present instance, the basesI I of a pair of the brackets 9 may be fixed against a horizontal underface 22 of a support member 22 in appropriately spaced relation and withthe U-bends I depending from the bases for receiving the rod portions2|; in this manner, the portions 21' of the mounted rod 2| are arrangedto normally extend as cantilever beams from the brackets whereby thecombined weight of the extending rod and of the drapes D mounted on thecentral rod portion 2 I connecting the portions 2 1' provides thedescribed grip of the rod portions 2| in the brackets.

Noting that the release of a rod end portion 2| for its longitudinaladjustment or removal with respect to an engaging bracket may beeffected by temporarily relieving it of the weight of the supported rodand drapes, means are preferably provided to insure some frictionalaction against the inserted rod ends whereby adjustments of the lattermay be made only against a resistance which prevents an over-adjustmentor an accidental removal of a rod end from a bracket. Accordingly, andas particularly shown, a J-shaped leaf spring I9 is mounted within thespace of the U-bend I5 of a bracket 9 to constantly dispose its bend I9against a rod portion 2! engaged in the bracket. For facilitating theinsertion of a rod portion 2| in the holes I6 and I8, the stem portionI9" of a spring I9 is preferably secured to the U-benol side from whicha rod portion 2| is to be inserted; accordingly, the spring I9 ismounted on the side I2 in the present structure. It is important to notethat the action of the spring I9 is arranged to be relatively light soas not to interfere with the normal functioning of the rod load tosecure the rod in set position with respect to the supporting brackets.

It will now be noted that the present member 22, on which brackets 53are shown mounted, comprises the top member of an open-bottomed draperyhood or cornice box 23 which is mounted on the casing at the top of aframed wall opening, and has a front side 24 and ends 25. The frame atthe opening includes a lintel 26 and side members 21, and the casingassembly comprises a head casing member 28 and side casing members 29;as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the lintel 26 supports a venetian blindassembly 3| from depending brackets or hangers 32. To provide for amaximum in-and-out adiustability of the drapes-carrying rod portion 2|within the cornice box 23, the brackets 9 are mounted on the box top 22with their U-bend portions I5 disposed inwardly of their bases II whichare mounted against the under face 22 of said top.

It is to be particularly noted that the present bracket body form whichpermits the mounting of a cooperative pair of the brackets on the boxtop 22 allows their positioning to provide for the extension of theportions I5 within the opening for which the drapes are provided, saidopening usually being that for a window or door. On the other hand, ifno cornice box is provided, the brackets 9 might be installed bysecuring their base portions II to and beneath the lintel 26, with theU-bends I5 disposed either inwardly or outwardly of the base portions.It will also be understood that the support rod 2! may be of fixedlength to thereby determine the spacing of the cooperating pair ofbrackets 9, or be of adjustable length for the fitting of its endportions 2| to brackets 9 which have been previously fixed in theirmounted position.

While the use of the present brackets 9 is particularly shown forengaging the turned-in end portions or support stems of adrapery-support rod 2|, it will be obvious that a single bracket 9having its base horizontal may be utilized generally for the adjustedcantilever support of a rod comprising the stem of an arm or hooksupporting a load. It will also be understood that a rod portion 2 I andthe complementary receiving holes l5 and I8 of a present bracket mayhave other sections than the circular section particularly shown forthem.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the features and advantages of the present drapery rodbrackets or hangers will be readily understood by those skilled in theart to which the invention appertains. While I have described astructure and installation which I now consider to be a preferredembodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings areprimarily illustrative, and that such changes and developements may bemade, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a unitary bracket for the cantilever support of a load-carryingrod having an end part of uniform cross-section, a mountin base portionfor horizontal disposition, mutually spaced upright portions extendingrigidly from the base portion and provided with mutually alignedopenings terminating at relatively sharp edges for complementarily andslidably receiving said end part of the rod for a cooperative grippingengagement with said rod part at diagonally opposite edge points of theopenings under the influence of the load on the rod, and means on thebracket for constantly and yieldingly urging the seating of the insertedend part of the rod against corresponding side points of said openings.

2. In a unitary bracket for the cantilever support of a load-carryingrod having an end part of uniform cross-section, a mounting base portionfor horizontal disposition, mutually spaced upright portions extendingrigidly from the base portion and provided with mutually alignedopenings for freely receiving said end part of the rod for a cooperativegripping engagement therewith at diagonally opposite side points of theopenings under the influence of the load on the rod, and a spring meanson the bracket in constant frictional and sliding egagemet with theinserted end part of the rod for yieldingly urging a seating of thelatter against corresponding side points of said openings.

ABRAHAM I. REITMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Kitcham Aug. 29, 1944

